Air travel is one of the foremost modes of transportation used throughout the world. Everyday aircraft are used for commercial travel, personal travel, transport of cargo, military operations, and many more applications. While the chances of aircraft landing gear malfunctioning during landing is low, when taking into account the number of times aircraft are used on a daily basis coupled with the significant risk to the passengers, cargo, and the area surrounding the runway, the malfunctioning of aircraft landing gear is a significant problem that requires attention.
While aircraft differ in size and design, the landing gear for different types of aircraft is substantially similar. Typical aircraft landing gear includes one or two wheels attached to a retractable arm mounted on the nose of the fuselage of the aircraft, and one or two wheels attached to a retractable arm mounted on the bottom of the left aircraft and the bottom or the right aircraft wing. As is the case with many aircraft, the landing gear may be retracted into the fuselage and wings during flight. During flight, the landing gear remains retracted and placed either against the aircraft or safely stored within the aircraft. During the landing of an aircraft, the landing gear is extended thereby enabling the aircraft to land safely on a runway.
Various systems for aiding in the landing of an aircraft with malfunctioning landing gear have been disclosed in the prior art. Many of the prior art systems are very large and receive the entire aircraft upon landing. Examples of these types of systems are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,695,255; 6,394,391; 4,653,706; and 3,567,159.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,255 discloses a system for absorbing impact and cushioning an aircraft landing. The system comprises a plurality of wheeled segments coupled into a line, a steerable head unit, and a drive means. During use, the line of segments is positioned on a runway strip. As the aircraft approaches, the drive means propels the segments along the runway. Preferably, the speed of the segments matches that of the aircraft. The aircraft is then piloted to land on the plurality of segments. A braking system is then used to stop the plurality of segments once the aircraft has landed on the segments.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,391 discloses a landing truck for receiving an aircraft in a forced landing. The landing truck comprises a wheeled vehicle, a front steering compartment, and a rear compartment for synchronously controlling and steering the landing truck, a landing frame placed on the vehicle, a trapping unit, a cushioning unit, a supporting and balancing unit, and an automatic controlling unit. The landing frame is placed on the top of the vehicle and can be tipped by hydraulic jacks in cooperation with the landing angle of the aircraft. During use, the landing frame receives the landing aircraft. The trapping and cushioning unit are mounted on the landing frame for absorbing impact and vibration of the aircraft landing on the frame
U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,706 discloses an emergency landing device having a base with a concave upper surface for receiving and supporting the fuselage of an aircraft. The length of the base is preferably twice the length of the aircraft being received. Wheels are mounted on the base for allowing the base to roll down an airport runway and a propulsion means is provided for propelling the device to an appropriate speed for receiving the incoming aircraft. The device is powered by an electric motor which is preferably radio controlled to allow remote control of the speed and direction of the landing device. Upon notification of an emergency landing, the selected runway would be cleared and the electric motor would be actuated to propel the device down the runway. As the device gains speed, the aircraft would descend over the device and attempt to land on the concave upper surface as the speed of the device approaches that of the aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,159 discloses a landing device for emergency use by aircraft having damaged or inoperable landing gear. The device comprises a vehicle having an elongated body which receives and supports the full weight of the aircraft via the wing structure and fuselage of the airplane. The device includes cushion means of the inflatable type to receive the fuselage of the aircraft. Separate means are provided for engaging and supporting the wing structure of the aircraft. During an emergency landing, the device is brought up to the speed of the aircraft. After landing of the aircraft on the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle is reduced via braking means.
While many systems have been designed to aid in the landing of aircraft with malfunctioning landing gear, there is still a need for improvements in such systems. The prior art systems are all designed for receiving the entire aircraft upon landing resulting is a very large and bulky system. Due to their size, the prior art landing systems are very costly making their widespread use unpractical, especially for smaller noncommercial airfields. The size of the landing systems also adversely affects the maneuverability and the ability of the system to properly attach to the landing aircraft. Furthermore, the size of the prior art systems are impractical on smaller airfields and require large amounts of power during operation. The present invention overcomes a number of shortcomings in the prior art by providing a smaller compact system for aiding in the landing of aircraft which allows for widespread use.